Chapter 9
The break in the fence was a good twenty-minute ride from the main house. It had been seen by the cowboys on patrol around the ranch, who sent back word to Hal. One of the posts had toppled over, spilling the split rails on either side to the ground. Though the cowboys who found the gap had chased the remaining cattle farther into the field, away from the fence, a couple of cows still managed to escape. As Tommy’s horse approached the scene, he could see the rogue steers grazing on the other side of the small river that bordered their fence—two adults, three young. Shouldn’t be hard for Slim and the others to round up.
The cowboys spurred their steeds over the broken piling and splashed across the river. Tommy reined in at the break, jumping down from the saddle as Hal’s horse
